A State of Fragile Healing
by CrawlingThroughWebs
Summary: After waking up from a coma, Neku is forced into the psychiatric ward of a hospital for "treatment" he doesn't want. He therefore does his best to withdraw from those around him, claiming he doesn't need help.
1. Prologue: Detonation

Authors Note: Definately most likely AU / OOC.

Trigger Warnings for self-harm, depression... basically mental illness related issues.

Dsiclaimer: I don't own TWEWY.

* * *

Doctors and nurses rushed past a small hospital room, bringing medical equipment or medication to the appropriate patient. The teenage boy who occupied the room was immune to the noise – in fact, he wasn't awake.

A doctor stood by the boy's bed, monitoring him as he slept fitfully. As he kept a watchful eye on the messy-haired ginger, the doctor reviewed his notes for the boy's admission into the hospital. He was a common case, but what bothered the doctor was that nobody seemed to know why this boy had done what he did – not even his parents, whom he spent the most time around. It wasn't uncommon for parents to be oblivious to the signs of a depressed teenager, especially with the already imbalanced hormones – most would sign it off as puberty of teenage mood swings.

"Dr. Kitaniji? Neku's parents have dropped off his possessions. I've already stored them away."

"Thank you, Konishi. Did they have anything to say?"

The blonde woman adjusted her glasses and shakes her head. "I believe they're still in shock – the mother especially."

Dr. Kitaniji made a noise of acknowledgement before returning to his notes. Neku was going to need all the help he could get.


	2. One: Crazy

"What do you mean, psychiatric ward? I'm not crazy!"

"Nobody is calling you crazy, Neku. Your parents and I have deemed it important that you get medical treatment, and it was decided that you would do that here. Now I suggest you relax and enjoy the rest of your solitude – tomorrow you're moving into the adolescent ward."

Neku stared at his doctor, Dr. Kitaniji, with a look of disgust etched onto his face. There was no reason for him to be here, locked up in a loony bin – he wasn't crazy, just a bit depressed. The real crazies were people who heard voices or thought Jesus talked to them through their television set – now _that_ was crazy. There was no way that he, Neku Sakuraba, would be locked in with _those_ kinds of people.

"This is a loony bin – the nuthouse! Why do I need to be here?"

Sighing, Dr. Kitaniji straightened his posture and crossed his arms. "This is a treatment center where people with mental illness strive to find ways to recovery."

Neku clenched his pillow angrily and snapped, "I don't have an illness!"

"You tried to – "

"Shut up!" Neku yelled, tossing his pillow behind him. "I don't need help with my problems, so get lost!"

Dr. Kitaniji sighed again, much to Neku's annoyance. The doctor noticed this, but didn't comment on it. Instead he simply walked out of the room, leaving the fuming teenager alone.

'_He just had to try and bring that up, didn't he?_' Neku thought, falling back against his crumbled pillow. '_What an asshole…_'


	3. Two: A Warm Welcome

"This is your room. You'll meet your roommate later on – he's in Group right now."

Neku cast a dirty look at his escort, thinking to himself '_They expect me to go to a group? As if_.'

His escort took no notice of Neku, lazily pointing out where his clothes were going to be kept and explaining the rules of being in the room.

"No roughhousing, no harassing your roommate, no screaming... Um, your parents dropped off some personal items besides clothes, but later in the week will they be given to you."

"Why?" Neku asked, rummaging through his tiny bedside dresser. "What, is it too dangerous to give it to me now?"

"You're a level zero – the only items you get are clothes."

"How many levels are there?"

"Four, zero being the first and three being the last."

Neku snorted and plopped down onto his bed. He didn't belong here, so why would his parents agree to this? Wait, stupid question. They couldn't let their little baby continue hurting himself, so they've given him to some creepy doctors to fix him up using lies and medication that will cause liver damage or something.

"Ah... I forgot to mention, the name's Kariya. I'll be escorting you to Group sessions and stuff like that. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Neku muttered, glaring at the orange-haired Kariya. "You mentioned rules – but only the ones about being in this room. What other rules apply?"

"It differentiates depending on what you're doing. Group sessions, counseling sessions, work sessions and being in the relaxation room all have different rules. You'll be escorted to all of that until you're a level two."

'_That's bullshit_,' Neku thought. '_Why the hell should I be here_?'

"Ah, Kariya. I see you've helped Neku settled in."

Neku turned to the doorway, where Dr. Kitaniji was standing, a pleasant smile on his lips. Immediately Neku looked away, showing blatant dislike of the doctor.

"Is Group over, Dr. Kitaniji?" asked Kariya, moving towards the doorway.

"Yes. I have Joshua here with me right now, actually."

Dr. Kitaniji moved aside, allowing a thin, light-haired boy into the room. The boy shot Neku a devilish grin, causing shivers to run up his spine.

"Neku, this is Joshua. He'll be your roommate for the time being."

With a giggle, Joshua began to twirl his wavy hair between his fingers. "Nice to meet you, Neku."

Instead of replying, Neku inched himself away from his roommate. This pipsqueak had to be crazy one way or another.

"Behave yourselves," Dr. Kitaniji warned. "Kariya will fetch you when it's time for lunch."

Watching Dr. Kitaniji and Kariya go, Neku almost had to resist the urge to run after them. He'd rather have rules and garbage about his "recovery" shoved down his throat than be left alone with some unknown weirdo.

"So, Neku... Why are you here?" Joshua asked, sitting down on his own bed, smirking mischievously.

Neku glared. "Does it matter? I don't belong here."

Rolling his eyes, Joshua giggled once more. "That's what everyone says when they first arrive, dear. You'll soon see that the others are a lot like you."

'_Did he just call me "dear"?_'

"Besides," Joshua continued, "you're here whether you like it or not. I'd certainly prefer to be somewhere else, but here I am."

Neku scowled and lay down. "This is where crazy people are, and unlike you, I'm not crazy."

"Ah... I'm not sure whether or not to take offense to that, Neku. Seeing as you've just arrived, I'll let it pass. Even so, remember that some of us patients aren't as emotionally stable as you are, dear. A few misplaced words and we may go off the deep end."

Joshua's lip curled upwards as he said this, unnerving Neku once more. This kid was trouble.

"I'm not answering any of your questions, Josh."

"Tch, okay. I guess I can wait."

'_Wait for as long as you want'_, Neku mused to himself. '_I'm telling nobody anything._'

Just as Joshua began to look through his dresser for something, Kariya walked in and said, "It's time for lunch, you two. Beef casserole."

Swinging his legs off the bed, Neku saw Joshua wrinkle his nose. "Not to your taste, Josh?"

Joshua grinned. "Sorry, Neku. If you're not answering my questions, I'm not answering yours."

Scowling, Neku followed Kariya and Joshua out of the room and down a grey hallway. There were five other rooms (doors closed) and a bathroom in the hall, all locked in by a pair of metal doors. Kariya led them through the doors into another grey hallway, which led to multiple other hallways and an elevator. To Neku, this whole building was like a maze of dim, dank and ugly hallways.

"Once you two reach level two, remember to keep an eye on the signs hanging from the ceiling," said Kariya. "It's not too difficult finding your way around here since there are only two wards for boys and girls, and they intermix when you reach the hallways for the sessions, which lead to the elevator which will take you to the kitchen. Still, keep an eye out. It'd be pretty damn awkward if you found yourself in the girl's bathroom instead of the boy's."

'_What a maze. I guess this is the way they keep people from escaping..._'

"By the way, Neku…"

Neku looked away from a sign and nodded towards Kariya. "What is it?"

"You've got a counseling session after lunch."

'_Great. First day here and I'm being forced to spill my emotions to some random creep. That isn't going to be happening, so you all might as well give up._'

Joshua gave Neku a gentle nudge. "If you've got who I think you've got, you'll like him. He's really cool."

Neku was about to reply, but just then they arrived in a brightly lit cafeteria. People of all ages sat at different tables – nurses and what seemed to be security guards stood on standby.

"That's your table over there. Grab some plates and go eat. I'll be back in an hour."

Kariya left them, leaving Neku and Joshua standing awkwardly by the door. Neither of the boys seemed to know what to do.

"Uh… You've been here longer than I have, so what do we do?" Neku asked, turning to Joshua, who was playing with his hair, staring aimlessly into space.

"We get in line, get food, and eat." He murmured, starting towards the dwindling cafeteria lineup.

Neku followed his roommate into the lineup, allowing a muscular man with dreadlocks to hand him something that looked remotely like an exploded ball of beef and vegetables. It was at least semi-appetizing, especially to the starving ginger.

As they reached the tables for the adolescent ward, Neku hesitantly sat himself down beside Joshua. The other patients took little notice of him, much to Neku's pleasure. He preferred being left alone than being talked to. He didn't need anyone – only himself. He had his values, and other people could keep theirs to themselves for all he cared.

"Hey, Josh! Have you seen Beat yet?"

"No, but I'm betting he's stuck in the relaxation room after his fit in group."

There was a sigh. "Probably..."

"Don't worry about him, Shiki. It's not like he's gotten kicked out for some foul language."

"True. Um, who's with you?"

Joshua gave Neku a nudge, pointing towards a girl with short brown hair and large glasses.

"Shiki, this is Neku. Neku, this is Shiki."

The girl gave Neku a big smile, but he turned back to his food in annoyance. '_Leave me alone.'_

"Oh... Did I do something wrong?"

Joshua sighed and jammed his finger sharply into Neku's ribcage, causing the boy to groan and wriggle away. "Stop it, Josh!"

"Then stop being a pain!"

Neku stared at Joshua angrily before standing up and dumping the rest of his food in the garbage. He already hated the two of them.

* * *

Author's Note: Just for anyone's information, I have no knowledge of how a psychiatric ward is run, so I'm going by what I've read. Also, yes, there is roommates. And yes, I know I'm bad at keeping people in character - I think I stated that before. I'm also so sorry about how poor my details are - I hate detail and i confuse myself. Plus I'm trying not to be too obvious with anything, but aaah... thank you for reading, reviewing and/or following. u_u /rant ended


	4. Three: Rudiments

Picking lint off the cushioned chair he sat upon, Neku avoided the gaze of his counselor and looked around. The small room smelt like coffee, and it was lighted pleasantly from the sunlight streaming through the window. A large shelf filled with books, papers and all sorts of random objects stood near the door, right beside a wooden desk, stacked messily with paperwork and writing utensils. Between him and his counselor was a coffee table, with a blue folder tossed upon it. "Neku Sakuraba" was printed neatly on the cover.

"I guess I ought to introduce myself, huh?"

Neku peeked up at his counselor before returning to tearing apart the chairs threads.

"Not much of talker, are ya? Well, anyways, I'm Sanae Hanekoma, but call me Mr. H. I'll be your counselor while you're here. Probably for a bit after you leave, too."

"Can I go home yet?" Neku asked, keeping his gaze on the armrest of the chair.

"'Fraid not, Neku. We gotta keep you here until you've made some progress."

"I don't need help!" Neku snapped, clenching his fists angrily. Why doesn't anyone get it?

Mr. Hanekoma rubbed his stubbly chin, a slight grin on his lips. "So, ya think you're okay, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Have you looked under your bandages yet?"

Neku paled immediately, impulsively pulling away. "Shut up!"

Shrugging, Mr. Hanekoma took a sip of his coffee and murmured, "I'm not trying to offend you."

Neku shifted nervously in his seat. '_Why do people keep bringing that up? It's nothing..._'

"We don't need to talk about that right now, but it will come up later on. Okay, Boss?"

"Hmph." Crossing his arms, the increasingly anxious boy nodded. This guy seemed too relaxed to be a professional.

"Now that we've got that settled, do you have any questions?"

'_Do I? Haha..._'

"When do I get my stuff back? I want my mp3."

"Ah... You need to be level one for that, Boss. Just co-operate and don't start trouble, then you'll get your possessions back."

'_Great…_'

As Neku pondered this, Mr. Hanekoma set down his near-empty coffee cup and rubbed his neck.

"I got a question for you, Neku... How did lunch go?"

Immediately a dark expression crossed Neku's face, giving Mr. Hanekoma a good idea of what was to come.

"Josh and Shiki are annoying."

Mr. Hanekoma nodded. "How was the food?"

"The food?" Neku paused, slightly taken back. "Uh… I guess it was alright." '_What a weird question…_'

Mr. Hanekoma either didn't hear or chose to ignore the confusion in Neku's voice, because he then asked, "Did you get your schedule yet?"

"My... My what?"

"Ah, I guess not. Here ya go," he said, handing Neku a sheet of paper from inside his folder. "That tells you when our meetings are, when you have group, laundry times and so on."

Neku looked over the sheet, reading everything carefully. He was to get up by eight o'clock each weekday morning; nine o'clock on weekends. After an hour of time to shower, dress and get ready for the day, there was breakfast. Depending on the day, he would either go to either to "Relaxation", study hall or a group session. At twelve o'clock (one o'clock on weekends), he would go to lunch for an hour. On Mondays and Thursdays he had appointment with Mr. Hanekoma, but otherwise he would be in the "relaxation room". The schedule lasted throughout the day, until nine o'clock, which was when he was supposed to be in his room. Lights out at ten.

"Make sense?" asked Mr. Hanekoma, sipping his coffee.

"Yeah, but... Is it Monday or Thursday?"

"Thursday."

'_That's funny... I thought it was Saturday..._'

Neku raised his eyes from his schedule and narrowed his brow.

"Thursday the what?"

"Twenty-fifth."

Neku gasped, dropping his paper in shock. "But... No way! Y-You're joking! It was the sixth last time I checked!"

"Neku... you were in coma for two weeks. The past few days we've been letting you rest."

'_That's impossible! Did I really...?_''

"I don't remember much from this week..." Neku mumbled. "It's all a blur."

"That's understandable. Things tend to blur together after waking from a coma. Hmm... What do you remember, Boss?"

Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, Neku gave a tiny shrug. "Some sort of assessment, people talking... Um... I think I was really tired until yesterday?"

A silence filled the room. Neku began to swing his legs, focusing on the rhythmic motion of his feet. He did his best to avoid the gaze of his counselor. Several minutes passed until Mr. Hanekoma spoke up.

"Do you remember what the assessment was about?"

"Questions..."

"As in 'Have you ever experimented with drugs or alcohol?' and 'How do you rate your self-esteem?'"

Neku nodded and pulled at his shorts. "When can I go home?"

"When you're classified as 'better', Boss. So far your prospects of leaving soon ain't going so well."

'_Ugh... This is all so confusing, and a pain in the ass._'

"Dr. Kitaniji hasn't mentioned medication to you, has he?"

Startled, Neku pulled back. "Medication? You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not. It's not going to be mandatory until you've gone through several assessments– of course, permission from your parents is needed, too."

"So I'm going to have pills shoved down my throat?"

Mr. Hanekoma sighed and balanced his empty coffee cup on his knee. "I'd rather not have to do that, Boss. Besides, it's a total maybe."

Clenching his fists, Neku stared at the carpet. He didn't want to take any medication – it would probably just screw him up more. Why did he have to be sent _here_? Couldn't of his parents just of gotten him out of the hospital after he woke up? Were they forced to send him here, or was it recommended? Do they have to be so insufferable and overprotective?

Wait...

Maybe... Maybe his parents didn't want him back home. Not after what he did...

"Neku? Are you okay?"

Reaching down for his schedule, Neku mumbled a "yes". He then stood up and focused on the paper in hand instead of Mr. Hanekoma.

"Can I go back to my room? I... I need to think."

There was a moment's hesitation, but Mr. Hanekoma replied, "If you want, I'll give you an excuse to miss Relaxation. That's what you have next, right?"

Taking a quick look at his schedule, Neku shook his head. "No, I have study hall."

Mr. Hanekoma shrugged and smiled. "Same thing to me. Take a break, Neku. You need it."

"Thank you, Mr. Hanekoma. I'll see you on Tuesday."

"Alright. Bye, Neku."

"See you later."

Neku left the counseling room quietly, nearly bumping into Kariya.

"Woah there! Wake up, sleepyhead."

"Uh... Can I go to my room? Mr. Hanekoma is going to excuse me from study hall."

Kariya nodded and led Neku back to his room, which was thankfully empty of Joshua. Shutting the door halfway (he wasn't allowed to fully close it since he was a level zero –another stupid rule, in his opinion), Neku crawling into his bed and stared at the wall.

'_Would Mom and Dad really not want me home? I wonder..._'

Neku slowly fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Authors Note: Ah... Updates are going to take awhile from here on out, due to schooling and volunteering.. Sorry for any inconvenience...?


	5. Four: Questions and Time

"Neku! Wake up!"

Neku rolled onto his side, nearly falling from his bed. He flailed in a panic until he regained his balance. Blinking sleepily, the half-awake boy raised his head, only to find himself millimeters away from Joshua, who was propped up on his elbows. It took several seconds for it to sink in, but as soon as Neku realized how close they were, he scrambled away, swearing furiously.

Joshua took this lightly, giggling girlishly and lazily twirling his hair between his fingers as he said, "You're so jumpy."

"W-What the hell, Josh? Why were you – "

"If you talk any louder, security is going to thinking I've assaulted you."

Neku bit his lip. What is up with this kid?

"Anyways… You missed dinner, so I brought you some," Joshua cooed, brandishing towards a plastic-wrapped plate sitting on Neku's bedside table. "It's likely cold by now."

"It's likely been poisoned!" Neku snapped, thankful for an opportunity to release his pent-up anger. Neku quickly saw, much to his annoyance, that Joshua was unfazed.

"The cafeteria man gave it to me wrapped up – I didn't touch it."

"Why should I believe you?"

Joshua groaned and rolled onto his back, tilted in what seemed a neck-breaking position to look at Neku.

"Have you forgotten this is a hospital? No one is left alone with any sort of medication or anything similar. If you get sick from the food, blame the cafeteria man."

Ignoring Joshua's comment, Neku delicately unwrapped the plate and was greeted by the smell of potatoes and vegetables. It looked safe, and smelt normal. Even so, Joshua could have done something to it.

Joshua sighed and grabbed a pillow off his bed. Settling on it, he said, "Let's kill some time. We've got an hour before lights out."

'_I'd rather kill you…_'

"No thanks." Neku muttered, poking his potatoes with a supplied plastic spoon.

"Aw, please? I'll answer your questions... that is, if you answer mine."

"Screw off, Josh."

"Neku..."

"Shut up!"

"Neku..."

"No."

"Please, dear?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"I don't trust you, and I sure as hell don't like you!"

As soon as that mischievous grin spread across Joshua's face, Neku knew he had screwed up.

"You answered my question."

Neku scowled and spooned some potatoes into his mouth – he was starving.

"I guess that means I have to answer one of yours," Joshua continued, shrugging casually. "Or maybe not."

Resisting the urge to lob a spoonful of potatoes at the pompous brat, Neku replied, "How long have you been at the hospital?"

"Nearly two weeks."

Neku had no answer to that, so he continued to nibble at his cold food. Besides, there wasn't any logical reasoning behind his question. He had just wanted to see if Joshua would give him a straight answer. Even so, the answer proved that Neku may be stuck with Joshua for longer than he'd like.

"My turn, Neku. Why are you here?"

"I'm not answering that."

Joshua sighed. "Oh, fine. How about this: Why do you suspect you're here?"

"That's the same question."

"Is not!"

With a groan, Neku set aside his half-empty plate and looked towards the door, asking, "Do I need someone to go with me to the washroom, or can I go myself?"

"You need either your roommate or one of the staff," Joshua replied instantly, picking at a loose thread in the carpet. "Don't want anyone hurting themselves, do they?"

Neku shot Joshua a dirty look before leaning huffily against the doorframe. There was no way in hell he was going to go to the washroom with that little freak. Who knows what he would do, especially after that comment he made earlier.

Several minutes passed, filled with the utmost silence. Neku waited for a staff member by the door. Joshua continued to pull loose threads from the carpet. Neither of the boys said a word, nor did they snatch glances at each other. There was an unspoken agreement to leave each other alone. Besides, both realized talking was getting them nowhere.

'_Geez, where is that Kariya guy? If he's not here, there has to be at least one other so-called security guard, or whatever a guy like him could be called. Dammit..._'

More time passed. Neku was on the verge of kicking a hole in the door if someone didn't show up soon. Going to the washroom with Josh was _not_ an option.

"Neku! I see you're awake... You need to go to the washroom, right?"

'_Finally._'

Neku nodded as Kariya strode over, looking a bit flushed. "Do you have everything you'll need? Pajamas, toothbrush..."

"I'll get them." Neku murmured, quickly going over to his desk and rummaging around until he gathered up the basics. As he went back to the door, Neku noticed that Josh had moved to his own bed and was idly picking at a hangnail. The boy paid him no attention, so Neku walked past.

Neither Kariya nor Neku spoke a word as they went to the washroom, and Neku preferred it that way. As Kariya waited outside the door, Neku strode into the washroom. It was more like a school locker room, but more stalls for privacy. He stopped by the mirror and busied himself with his toothbrush and facial washing. As he made to wash his face, Neku caught sight of himself.

His first reaction was shock.

The remnants of a scabby bruise showed on his forehead, and the skin around his eyes was swollen and dark. The rest of his face was pale – he looked ill. If anything, he definitely had the look for a crazy hospital.

"Are you okay in there, Neku?"

Pulling his gaze away from the mirror, Neku shouted "Yeah, I'll be out in a minute!" He immediately turned back to his reflection. He couldn't remember were the bruise was from, or why it was scabbed. Hadn't he just slept for two weeks? Why did he look so exhausted? Maybe it was stress... That could be it. As for the bruise, maybe he had hit his head when... before he came to the hospital.

'_Forget about that. It doesn't matter anymore._'

Trying his best to ignore the gaunt expression waiting for him in the mirror, Neku hurried to get changed. He should get some sleep and lose this look he had acquired. Maybe then he'd have a better chance of a fast release.

Kariya guided the silent boy back to his room, and Neku immediately crawled into his bed and pulled the covers over his head. The lights were flicked off by Kariya, who uttered not a word as he semi-shut the door. Lying there, Neku shut his eyes and hugged the blankets closer to him. He was tired.

Minutes passed. Neku heard the doors leading into the ward clang shut and footsteps squeak on the linoleum floor. Now he was locked in for sure. No feeble late night attempts to escape – as if he would even bother trying. There wasn't a point. He might as well spend another night here and get rested. So as an attempt to pass time until he fell asleep, Neku began to time Josh's breaths with his own. It wasn't working, but he did notice that Josh was tossing and turning quite a bit. Impulsively Neku sat up and stared at Josh, whose own sleep was mingled with mild turns. Neku watched for a little while, and ended up deciding on not to wake Josh. He didn't seem to be having a nightmare, so he must be fine.

Lying back down, Neku placed his pillow over his face. Everything was jumbled up and bothering him. He couldn't sleep. He looked deranged. His roommate drove him up the wall. His parents probably wanted nothing to do with him. He may have to take medication that would likely screw him up even worse. There was a low chance of leaving this dump any time soon. His thoughts jumped everywhere. He hated himself and everyone around him.

Everything was going to hell and it was his fault.


	6. Five: Assessing the Mind

Neku squirmed in his seat and sat on his hands. Mr. Hanekoma had seemingly deemed him fully aware of his surroundings, which for some reason had led to another psychological assessment. He had already been here a few days, struggling through multiple group activities. Neku believed he had proved himself completely sane by now, especially compared to some of the other patients, but apparently this was not the case. Earlier on Neku had heard Mr. Hanekoma talking to Dr. Kitaniji about how he constantly "denied" the reasons for being in the hospital, and refused to do more than what was asked of him in any of his activities. At least Mr. Hanekoma wasn't downgrading him for it, he was just curious.

"You ready, Boss?" Mr. Hanekoma asked, gaining Neku's attention. "You seemed pretty interested in the floor for a bit, huh?"

Neku snorted and stood up, pulling his arms further into his overlarge grey sweater he had thrown on. Mr. Hanekoma led him into his office, where Dr. Kitaniji and a familiar-faced blonde lady sat. Neku took the seat farthest away from everybody and kept his gaze on Mr. Hanekoma, who sat in his regular seat.

"Nice to see you again, Neku," Dr. Kitaniji said. "How are you adjusting?"

Neku scowled, giving him the finger from inside his sweater.

"This is Ms. Konishi. She helps with assessments in the hospital."

Dr. Kitaniji gestured towards the blonde lady, who adjusted her glasses promptly. A shiver ran down Neku's spine as he met her gaze – she came off as someone to avoid at all costs.

"We've decided to redo the assessment you went through before, Neku," Mr. Hanekoma says quickly, noticing the growing scowl on Neku's face. "It'll likelier be more accurate this time around, seeing as you've been here for a few days and are completely responsive. First will be some questions about yourself, then school and family. You up for this?"

"As if I have a choice."

"Tch... Um, anyways, answer the questions to the best of your ability."

"Fine."

Ms. Konishi uncapped a pen and began to scribble down something onto a pad of paper as Dr. Kitaniji opened up a folder, pulling out some loose-leaf papers. Neku clenched his fists and swallowed nervously as Dr. Kitaniji began asking questions.

"Have you ever experimented with drugs?"

"No."

"How about alcohol?"

"No."

"How high do you rate your self-esteem?"

"Around average."

"Do you ever have anxiety attacks, or experience sudden panic?"

"No."

"Do you have any fears that get in the way of doing things?"

"No."

"Do your moods shift a lot?"

"No."

"Do you ever have suicidal thoughts or tendencies?"

"No."

Dr. Kitaniji stopped talking and stared at Neku. Ms. Konishi sighed and capped her pen. Neku glanced at Mr. Hanekoma, who was frowning.

"If you aren't going to take this seriously Neku, there's not much of a chance of you leaving."

Neku blew out some air huffily and stood up, turning towards the door. "I'm going to study hall. There's some homework I haven't finished."

Before anyone could stop him, Neku left the room and began walking towards study hall. If he was caught walking the hallways without a guide, well, he'd be in trouble, so he walked fast. Plus he wanted to get as far away from the counselling centre as he could. He had already done the stupid assessment, why make him do it again?

"Neku, wait!"

It was Mr. Hanekoma.

Neku grumbled to himself, slowing his pace. Mr. Hanekoma caught up with him, stopping the ginger with a tap on the shoulder.

"It's not even one thirty, Neku. Study hall hasn't started."

"Then I'll go to my room." Neku instantly replied, staring down the taller man.

"'Fraid not, Boss. You gotta stay with me today."

'_Lovely._'

"How come?" Neku asked, clenching his fists. "I don't need to be babysat."

Mr. Hanekoma laughed. "You're too old to be babysat, Neku. We need to finish up that assessment."

Shaking his head, Neku snapped, "I'm not doing that bullshit!"

"I understand that you're angry," Mr. Hanekoma responded, nodding. "but it's important we finish this. Dr. Kitaniji and Ms. Konishi are specialized in assessments, so they ought to be done by them. I'd love to butt in and help ya, but it's not really my part... but you know, Neku, you don't have to give detailed answers. Short and straight to the point works fine, but if you're going to lie about it..."

A groan escaped Neku involuntarily. There was no way around this, so he simply replied, "Fine. No prying, though."

"Hmm... I guess we can go with that. Now, come on, the docs are waiting."

Turning around, Mr. Hanekoma motioned for Neku to follow him. Trailing several steps behind, Neku kept his eyes glued to the floor. Thoughts circled rapidly through his brain. They would likely ask the same questions as before, but this time he had to be honest – but not descriptive. If he was to be able to give only short answers, this may become slightly more bearable. Also, by doing this, he may reach level one faster, thus increasing his chances of a faster release.

"I got him back, Dr. Kitaniji," Mr. Hanekoma said they entered his office. "Safe and sound."

"Excellent. Neku, I do hope you are ready to answer honestly this time?" Dr. Kitaniji replied, his sentence ending with a rather dark undertone.

"Yeah." Neku muttered, seating himself back in his chair. He was unnerved by the look given to him by Ms. Konishi – something between a scowl and a smirk.

"You will answer all the questions honestly, and to the extent of your ability. There shall be no snide remarks or walking out. Understand?" continued the doctor, casting Neku an intimidating smile.

"Understood." was the reply given, along with a short nod.

"Very well then. Ms. Konishi, I believe you are ready?"

"Yes, Dr. Kitaniji."

"Then let us begin," Dr. Kitaniji stated, looking down at his folder. "First we will start with questions about you. How high do you rate your self-esteem?"

"Around average – a five or six on a scale of one to ten. Possibly seven."

"Do you ever have anxiety attacks, or experience sudden, random panic?"

Neku shook his head. "Nothing that I can remember."

"Do you have any fears that get in the way of doing things?"

"No."

"Do your moods shift a lot?"

"Just as much as the average hormonal teenager."

"Hmm..." Dr. Kitaniji paused, and Neku bit his lip fretfully. He was about to speak up, but Dr. Kitaniji continued with, "I see. Continuing on, have you ever experienced with drugs or alcohol?"

"Not drugs, but I have tried alcohol before. Not enough to get me drunk or anything, but a bit."

Dr. Kitaniji nodded, making a note of something on the papers in his folder. Ms. Konishi was furiously scribbling away at her paper, and Mr. Hanekoma was idling around, obviously paying attention but presumably doing nothing but that. Neku eased a bit as Mr. Hanekoma shot him a slight grin – he wasn't so bad, for a counsellor.

"Do you ever have suicidal thoughts or tendencies?"

"Uh..." Neku immediately tensed up, as this was one of those questions that can ultimately decide your fate. So much for a tension break. "Yeah, I have thought about it, but I think everyone does occasionally. As far as tendencies go, I don't think I go around trying to throw myself into traffic, so I think I'm safe there."

"Yes, but have you ever gone to such lengths that you actually prepare?" Dr. Kitaniji asked, gazing at Neku with a serious expression.

"Well... not really?" Neku mumbled, shrugging awkwardly. "I... Fuck, never mind."

The doctor nodded, bowing his head to write down something. Neku blinked, and cocked a brow – the doctor's hair was rather long. This wasn't really odd, but at the moment it baffled the boy.

"We'll move on to school and family now, unless you had any questions, Neku."

With a start Neku shook his head.

"Good. At school, do you ever skip class? If so, for what reasons?"

"Uh... I've skipped a class here and there, sometimes to avoid a test I didn't study for or because I didn't feel like going. There's no specific reason."

"Unmotivated?"

"I guess that's it?"

"Hmm... Okay. Neku, do you have any friends at school?"

"No."

"How about outside –"

"I don't need friends."

This caused quite a bit of pen-scribbling, so Neku was able to take a breather. This was taking longer than he had anticipated, and was providing him a lot of chances to talk – sometimes talking a bit too much. It may have not seemed like it, but to Neku, all this talking was annoying and time-consuming. Also, he was afraid he'd slip up and let something personal slip, whatever it may be.

"Why don't you need friends, Neku?" Ms. Konishi asked, staring straight at him emotionlessly. "I'm sure you have to have someone you spend time with?"

"I don't like people, okay? Let's drop it!" snapped Neku, clenching his fists in a sudden surge of anger.

"Neku, take a break. We don't need to blow through this all in one go," Mr. Hanekoma said, intervening and easing himself into a seat. "I know you want to finish this, but try to relax."

Neku nodded, breathing heavily. "Yeah, sure. Can we get this over with?"

Everyone nodded, and thus the questions commenced.

"Do you have any problems at school, in and out of class?"

"Not really."

"Any problems at home?"

"No."

"How's the relationship between you and your parents?"

"As average as it gets. They haven't done anything wrong, if that's what you're thinking."

Dr. Kitaniji nodded as he finished up writing, closing the folder. "That's all we have to ask you at the moment, Neku. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

"Am I going to have to do this again?"

"It's a possibility. Most likely more detailed assessments. This one was much more basic."

"Hmph." Crossing his arms, Neku looked away, signalling that he had nothing else to say. Dr. Kitaniji and Ms. Konishi rose and moved towards the door. Just before leaving Dr. Kitaniji turned and said, "I'll get back to you soon, Sanae. Neku, thank you for putting up with this."

The shut closed, and Neku let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God that's over."

"Was it really that hard?" Mr. Hanekoma asked, raising a brow.

"I don't see why I should have to answer such stupid questions. Besides, a lot of that stuff is private."

"I think I can understand your perspective, as interesting as it is."

'_What's that supposed to mean?_'

"Anyhow, study hall is starting, so is there anything you want to go over or ask before I kick you out?"

Taking a moment before answering, Neku shook his head and stood up. "I'll see you on Monday, right?"

"Yup. See you, Boss."

"Uh... Yeah. Bye, Mr. Hanekoma."

Neku slipped out of the room and into the counselling centre sitting room. A new guide was standing there, probably waiting for him. She had short pink hair, and lipstick to match. As soon as she saw Neku, a scowl spread across her face.

"Neku?"

"Yeah."

"Tch, took you long enough. Come on, I need to get you to study hall."

'_She's unpleasant. Where's that Kariya guy?_'

They walked in silence, the pink-haired woman showing no sign of caring whether Neku was a step behind or several. She seemed intent on getting him to study hall and then going to do whatever she had to do next. Obviously him being late out of his meeting had ticked her off in some way – did the guides get docked pay if they were late to delivering their patient to the next activity? It seemed farfetched, but almost anything seemed possible in a loony bin.

Neku let that thought simmer in his mind as they arrived at study hall. Several other patients were there already, but none he recognized off the bat.

"Your homework is with the lady at the desk – I dropped it off earlier."

"Uh, thanks."

"Tch. I'll be back to take you to your next activity."

With that said, the lady strode away. Frowning, Neku went up to the lady who was watching over the group (inconveniently enough he had forgotten her name so many times that he had given up on trying to remember) and took a seat by himself close to a window.

His math homework was a mess of scribbles and half-assed answers. As for his English, there was no point of giving himself a headache trying to figure out what a gerund was used for. Science was an array of badly drawn diagrams of things he couldn't remember, let alone pronounce. So once again, he settled on staring out the window, counting the numbers of cars in the parking lot below and arranging them into groups by colour. Unlucky for him, there were very few cars in the parking lot, so it took him only several seconds to finish counting and arranging. This came as no surprise to Neku, so he settled on his second best option – doodling aimlessly on his school notes.

"Hey, Neku!"

'_Shit... Shiki._'

Neku continued to scribble on his paper, making what someone could call an attempt at a tornado. He usually managed to avoid being spoken to during study hall (and most of the other time, too) but sometimes it was inevitable.

Such as right now.

"How's the homework coming along?"

Neke gazed upwards, glaring in annoyance at Shiki. She smiled at him brightly, either ignoring or oblivious to his glare.

"Oh, you sure have a lot... Procrastinating?"

"What do you want?"

Shiki frowned. "What do you mean?"

'_Is she stupid?_'

Neku scowled and forced his gaze to his homework. If he looked like he was focused, she'd leave him alone. She had to.

"You always sit here and stare out the window, Neku. Either that or scribble on whatever's around you. Do you ever get your homework done?"

"No." Neku said impulsively, biting his tongue right after speaking. Crap.

"Hmm... If you need help, I'm willing to help! Josh and I help Beat, so it wouldn't be too much trouble. Probably a lot less, actually. Hehe..." Shiki giggled and slid into the seat across from Neku. She had English and Japanese homework with her, Neku noted absently.

"Yo! Shiki!"

"Hi, Beat! Hi, Josh!"

"My, I see you've joined Neku's company. Hopefully you don't adopt his brooding demeanor."

"Oh, lighten up Josh! Neku's not that bad..."

Propping his elbow on the table, Neku rest his head against his wrist and looked at the people around him. Josh had plopped down beside Shiki, smirking sardonically. Beat, on the other hand, was standing beside the table awkwardly, staring at Neku with a ghost of a frown on his face. This allowed Neku to take a good look at Beat; something he hadn't done before.

Beat was muscular and tall, with blond hair that fell right above his blue eyes. He tended to look at Neku disdainfully, but whether or not that was because of how Neku acted was another story. Beat's vocabulary sometimes sounded that of a younger child, and his intelligence was questionable – as some would say, Beat wasn't the sharpest tool in the box. In Neku's opinion, he was yet someone else to avoid.

"Yo, Neku! You're da new guy, right?"

Neku sighed and looked away, staring down at his homework. How long had he been putting this off?

"Geez, no need to be a grouch. Man..." Beat plopped down beside Neku, tossing down some papers. "Do any of ya get this stuff?"

"Oh, Beat... You've done this equation wrong."

"You serious!?"

"Yeah..."

"Neku, do you need some help with your math, too? You seem rather stuck."

Neku raised his head, giving Joshua a glare before turning towards the window. Several more cars had filed into the parking lot, and Neku took it upon himself to begin arranging them into groups. By seeming preoccupied, Shiki, Josh and Beat may leave him alone.

"Neku? No need to be so rude – we're honouring you with our company, you know."

Or maybe not.

"Yo, is he alright? He seems kinda spacey..."

"He's being a brooding emo kid, Beat. No worries."

"Wha...?"

Neku put his head on the table and covered his ears. All he wanted was to be left alone, but of course not, they thought it'd be such fun to stay around him.

"Um... Hmm... Okay, Beat? This is how you do this..."

"You sure, Shiki? I dunno..."

"Don't worry; I know what I'm doing!"

Neku yawned and closed his eyes. Maybe he'd be able to catch a quick nap...

"This goes here... no, like this..."

"This is shit, yo! Why da fuck do we gotta learn this crap?"

"It's important, Beat! Now, please, pay attention!"

Neku sat upright and rubbed his eyes, staring grumpily at the people around him, absorbed in their homework. He hated them all.

Why did they keep trying to get close to him? No relationships would last here anyways.

It was useless; utterly pointless.

Everything that happens here would become irrelevant, wouldn't it? All the schoolwork that gets done, if any, would it matter? How would being here affect his future?

Whatever.

He needed to stop thinking about this.

Picking up his pencil, Neku slowly began to erase his work. If he was here, he might as well do something.

* * *

Authors Note: oh wow really bad ending haha anyways wow I think we all get an award for waiting for Beat's arrival


End file.
